GUELPH – The latest analysis of a youth well-being survey indicates the mental health of youth is improving since the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But youth are also displaying behaviour that’s concerning to public health officials.
The Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) board of health heard at its Sept. 4 meeting that 47% of students have a high score on the Positive Mental Health scale, which includes indicators like, “I feel hopeful about my future,” “I feel proud of myself,” and “I feel in control of my life.”
And 82% know where to get help with their problems, thanks to a concerted effort by local school boards.
But distractions and peer pressure are up, suicidal thoughts are up, and almost half (45%) struggle with severe stress about grades or exams.
“Youth have begun rebounding from 2022,” health promotion specialist Lyndsey Dossett said in her presentation on the 2023 Well-Being and Health Youth Survey (WHY survey).
“That’s testament to the work of the school boards and public health.
“But there have also been some concerning changes.”
WDGPH has been working with Upper Grand and Wellington Catholic district school boards on the survey, preparing its content and analysis together.
The survey is conducted every two years and includes students from Grades 4 to 12, who participate voluntarily.
Many of the substance use indicators are down. They include use of cannabis, e-cigarettes and alcohol.
But 17% of respondents from Grades 7 to 12 say they have used cough medicine to get high in the past year and an alarming number of students from grades 4 to 6 (7%) say they have tried alcohol.
Students who do not identify as male or female had poorer outcomes than those who did.
According to the report, students identifying as another gender reported more than triple the proportion in each of these indicators:
- attempted suicide in the past 12 months (19% versus 3.6% of male or female respondents)
- used sedatives in the past year (7.5% versus 2.1%);
- harmed themselves in the past 12 months (43% versus 10%);
- have a high score on the Psychological Distress scale (34% versus 8.4%); and
- had thoughts of suicide in the past 12 months (57% versus 14%).
Female students also experienced non-consensual sexual activity more than their male counterparts, harmed themselves more than their male counterparts, struggled with body image and eating issues more than males and were more likely not to seek professional help when needed.
Parents and staff were also invited to answer the survey.
Over one third of parents reported more difficulty than the previous two years with buying food of high quality and variety (43%), ability to pay debts (41%) and ability to pay bills (35%).
“Economic stability is a critical determinant of health, particularly for children, who are vulnerable to the adverse effects of poverty,” the report states.
The survey indicates 21% of students spend more than two hours playing video games each day and 33% spend more than two hours on social media.
This does not include computer time necessary for schoolwork.
Dossett said the data will be posted on the WDGPH website and be shared with community groups that also work with youth.
Public health and school boards use the information to inform programs and to target resources.
